Odometer-train-resetting device



July 17, 1923.

A. c. WOOD ODOMETER TRAIN RESETTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21', 1920 FV/TNESSES July 17, 1923.

A. C. WOOD ODOMETER TRAIN RESETTING DEVICE Filed April 21, 1920 472429650 C h g igb o i WfjNESSES I wzzfaww 17 45 A TTORNE i915 Patented July 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,461,956 PATENT orrlcs.

I ANDREW C. WOOD, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO STEWART-WARNER SPEED- OIE'IEB CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

ODOIETEB-TBAIN-BESETTING DEVICE.

Application filed April 21, 1920. Serial No. 375,515.

to any desired point or for advancing it to 15 any desired amount. It consists in the elements of construction shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a structure embodying this invention. 7

Figure 2 is a partly sectional front elevation of the same, section being made axially with respect to the operating shaft and the dial wheels.

2 Figure 3 is a section at the line,l 33, on

11 igure 2.

igure 4 is a section at the line, 4-4, on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to part of Fig- 30 ure showing a different position of the parts.

Figure 6 is a view similar to the r1ght hand end portion of Figure 1, showing a slight modification. H

Figure 7 is a partly sectional front ele vation of the same.

Figure 8 is a section at the line, 8-8, on Figure 7. 1 This application presents a variation of 40 the structure of my co-pending application No, 353,770, and is intended to present and claim some features of that construction generically, andto present and claim some features of variation as between the w two structures. In many respects the construction of the two applications isthe same and in this application these identical parts will be descri d only in general terms, reference being bad to said pendi application '50 for more specific description 0 the features which arespecifically claimed in that application. The structure shown in the drawings comrises a'standard for the counterdials, comto prising right and :left hand brackets, 20

and 30, respectively, and a centerbracket, 40, which afiord bearing for the central shafts as hereinafter described, and from which are extended certain auxiliary bearings and bracket members hereinafter mentioned for carrying certain auxiliary shafts and other parts. Also at the right hand side of the right hand bracket, 20, there is provided a boss, 21, centrally with respect to which the shaft, 2, is journaled, on which boss there is mounted and keyed fast, as seen at 22, the housing, 23, for the re-set gears, 24 and 25, and the cam spindle, 26; all of which are substantially the same as shown in my said co-pending application No. 353,770, except as hereinafter particularly distinguished therefrom.

The continuous indication dials, 50, and their mode of operation need not be particularly described, the same being fully shown and described and claimed in. mysaid copending application, but the following feabe noted for the purpose of the turesmay present invention. These continuous 1nd1- cator dials, 50, are mounted on an axle or fixed shaft, 1, which is supported rigidly by the left hand bracket, 30, and which 0btains bearing in the intermediate bracket, 40. The' fixed shaft, 1, is co-axial with the rotating shaft, 2, of the trip train upon which the trip train dials, 60, are carried; and the shafts, 1 and 2, are telescoped with each other for journaling the trip train shaft, 2, on the shaft, 1. As shown, the trip train shaft, 2, telescopes in an axial bore, 1", in the right hand end of the continuous indication train shaft, 1, and a coil spring, 3, in said bore re-acts for extending the total shaft-length-that is, for thrusting the shaft, 2, to the rightto a limit which is determined by the trip-re-setting shaft, 26, as hereinafter described, This out-thrust position of the trip train shaft, 2, may be regarded as the normal or running position of said shaft, being the position at which the device operates in indicating travel mileage; and the in-thrust which may be given to the shaft, as hereinafter described, is referred to as the re-setting position. The main or initial gear of the counter-train, 6, is driven by any suitable means re resented by gear, 7 suitably journaledon t e frame standards for intermeshing ofthe gear, 7, with said driven gear, 6, power being communicated, by means not shown, to the gear,

7. The gear, 6, is provided with a housing, 6, by which it is mounted fast on the shaft. 2. The initial or lowest denomination dlal wheel, 61, in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, is fast on the shaft, 2. The succeeding dials of higher denomination are loose on said shaft for rotation thereabout but are furnished with means for driving engagement therewith,consisting of a ratchet shoulder, 2, with which said shaft is provided, extending along the entire length of said shaft from the left hand side of the initial dial wheel, 61, one wall of a key seat or channel belng cut away so as to leave the other wall standing to form said ratchet shoulder for engagement with the spring key, 67 with which each of the dial wheels, 60, is provided, mounted in recesses, 60", in the right hand side of each of said dial wheels, as shown in Figure 4. Each of the dial wheels, 60, has on the side toward the next followin dial a continuously toothed or unmutilated gear, 51, whose teeth are in number a multiple of ten, and at the side toward the next preceding dial, said dials have each a mutilated gear, 52, and a delay or looking disk, 53. The mutilated gear, 52, hasteeth for driving tenth of its revolutions, and the delay or locking disk 53, is correspondingly cut away at 53. At each conjunction of preceding and succeeding dials, a pinion, 54:, is provided journaled on a shaft, 55, parallel to the shaft, 2, extending between the brackets, 30 and 40. This pinion is actuated by the toothed portion of the gear, 52, and is thereby rotated through one-tenth of each revolution of said gear, 52, and rotates the next succeeding gear, 51, and its dial through one-tenth of a revolution for each revolution of the preceding gear, 52, and its dial, 60. This effects the carrying from column to column. The pinions are held locked against rotation in the intervals between their successive engagement by the mutilated gear, 52, by the co-operating periphery of the dela disk, 53, and the delay segment, .52, of t e pinion hub, laterally adjacent to the toothed periphery thereof, in a manner well understood and requiring no particular description.

The ratchet shoulder 2, formed by the cut away channel, in the shaft, 2, faces in direction for rotating the dials for advanced indication; and thereby it will be seen that it results that the dials may be independently rotated in the same advance direction without hindrance by reason of theshaft and its said ratchet shoulder, the spring pawls riding back and dropping over said gholulder in such advance rotation of the The normal position of the several parts,- that is, the position at which they will stand '11 the ordinary action of the device for re engagement throughout one-- ing of the casing. If it is desired dials to indicate any advance number, the

'from the gear, 25, and the shaft, 2, at the extreme right-hand limit of its range of thrust, its rounded end, 2", being'stopped 1n the conical cam recess, 260, of the spindle,

26, and the gear, 6, engaged with the driving gear, 7. For re-setting to zero or to any other desired point, the spindle, A, will be pulled up or forward to bring the gear, 24, into mesh with the gear, 25, this movement of the spindle, operating, by the cam slope of the recess, 26, of the spindle, to crowd the shaft, 2, to the left the shaft-end snapping back into the minor recess, 26 of the spindle. The amount of longitudinal movement, thus given to the shaft disengages the gear, 6, from the gear, 7, and leaves the entire trip train free to be operated independently of the driving means connected with the travel wheel whose rotation it is normally designed to record. Thereupon, the operator desiring to re-set the entire trip train to zero, or to any other number consisting of the same digit in all columns, will turn the knob, A, in clock-wise direction, causing the shaft, 2, to revolve in the reverse direction, its shoulder, 2, picking up each of said dials as said shoulder reaches the spring dogs, 67, of the several dials which are all positioned similarly with respect to the zero points of the dials, and thereby in one revolution or something less, all of the dials will be picked up and aligned as to their zero points, and bring any other figure to the reading opento set the operator will reverse the rotation of the knob, 26, turning it in anti-clock-wise direction, thereby rotating in advance direction the initial or lower denomination dial at the right, and throughit by means of the carrying wheels, rotating similarly each succeeding dial until the desired number is indicated. A more expeditious method of resetting to any considerably advanced number consists in setting the initial or lowest denomination dial at the figure desired and withthe finger engaging the periphery of the succeeding dials in their order, rotating them to the figures desired to be indicated by them respectively. It will be understood that in this operation the spring pawls, 67, ride back over the ratchet shoulder, 2, of the shaft, and that the carrying action from each dial to the next following will occur in the regular manner but will in no manner interfere with afterward setting the succeeding dials to the desired figure by further advance movement in the manner described.

It may be understood that when rotating all the dials together by the manual operation of the spindle, 26, and picking up the dials at the points at which they happen may be rotated to 7 i to stand, as above described, for lie-setting all the dials to zero by the one movement, the pinions, 54, will be rotated by their continuous engagement with the gears, 51; and as teeth of the adjacent mutilated gears, 52, with the delay or locking disks, 53, come around to the pinions respectively, said teeth are liable to arrive out of registration with the teeth of the adjacent gear, 51, and may stand as shown in Figure 8, aligned with the intervals between the teeth of said gear, 51, instead of with said teeth themselves. In that event, the pinions will be thrown out of mesh with the gears, 51, by the delay or locking disks, 53, and unless the pinions could yield out of mesh with the gears respectively.

the re-setting movement would be blocked.

To accommodate such condition of misalignment, the bracket, 62, which carries the pinions is pivotally mounted as shown at 62*, a spring, 62, ,being provided coiled around the pivot shaft, 62, yieldingly holding the bracket up to a position for proper meshing of'the pinions with the gears, but permitting them to yield out ofmesh when at the alignment of like numerals the misalignment of the teeth of the gears,.51 and 52, occurs.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a modification of the construction described and shown in the earlier numbered figures. This modification consists in making the initial or tenths dial wheel, 61, not fixed on the shaft, A, but keyed thereto for rotation therewith, but so as to permit the shaft to slide through it, this being effected by providing this gear with the same sort of a spring key, 57, as the device shown in the other dial, and continuing channel which forms the ratchet shoulder, 2, within said initial dial as a complete groove or key seat, that is, not cut away at one side so as to reduce it to a mere ratchet shoulder as in the remainder of the length of the shaft within the other dial.

In this construction the dials are not disthe on the contrary, are positively stopped against lateral placed laterally in the movement of shaft, 2, for resetting, and they movement between the bracket, 40, and the hub of the gear, 7, on the shaft, 55. In all other respects the operation of the device in the form shown in these Figures 6, 7 and 8,

is the same as already described in respect to the other figures.

I claim:

1. In a counting mechanism and the like which comprises a main train shaft, and a series of decimally-successive counter wheels in laterally successive position thereon with the initial wheel of the series positively engaged with the remaining wheels of" the series mounted loose on the shaft for rotation, and which comprises also means for carrying from each decimally lower denomination wheel to the next higher vance direction of the lower denomination wheel, and regular means for rotating the shaft to rotate the lower denomination wheel in advance direction} one-way-positive engaging means for engaging the shaft with the wheels above the lowest denomination in the rotation of the shaft in reverse direction; means for disengaging the shaft from the regular advance driving means, and means separate from said advance driving means for rotating the shaft in either direction at will.

2. In the construction defined in claim 1, said driving means comprising a driven gear fast on the shaft for positively engaging the lowest-denomination dial wheel, said lowest denomination dial wheel being rigid with the shaft for all movements therewith, the remaining dial wheels being stopped longitudinally of the shaft between said lowest denomination dial wheel and said driven gear, whereby all the said dial wheels are carried together in a longitudinal movement of the shaft for disengaging it from the regular driving means.

3. In the construction defined in claim 1 shaft for rotation and the denomination wheel in the ad-,,

foregoing, the one-way-driving' means being my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 7 day of April, 1920.

ANDREW C. WOOD. 

